PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Buses pulled out early this morning from the Philadelphia police training academy on State Road. Two classes of recruits headed to the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C.

The program, “Law enforcement and society: Lessons of the holocaust” was started in part by Commissioner Charles Ramsey when he was chief of police in Washington DC. He says it’s a reminder of how the job of a police officer is more than enforcing laws, it’s also about protecting constitutional rights.

“Once rights are taken away from any particular group of people, how quickly it can turn into the worst nightmare, which obviously occurred during the holocaust,” he said.

Recruits from the police academy visit the museum during their training on ethics.

Lt. John McGlynn in charge of the recruit classes says, “It’s really something amazing to see, and it’s something that will be an indelible mark on the rest of your career.”

Over 90,000 law enforcement officers from across the country have gone through the class at the museum, Philadelphia police recruits have been going since 2008.